


when we first met

by thephanlock



Series: TWD One-Shots [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alexandria - Freeform, Alexandria Safe-Zone, Canon Compliant, Drabble, Established Relationship, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, POV Third Person, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, can be seen as, hand holding, or - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 07:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10458372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thephanlock/pseuds/thephanlock
Summary: There were conversations to be had and hearts to be laid bare but for now, they both sat in silence, watching the flames, now starting to die down a little, the fire no longer growing with every flame but rather, shrinking.Prompt: "I'm sorry I hit you."





	

**when we first met**

_ Prompt: “I’m sorry I hit you.” _

 

“‘M sorry,” Daryl mumbled one evening, his words getting lost in the ever growing hum of those around them, talking as they ate, the worries of the day they’d gone through already forgotten.

Not quite catching what he had said, Paul glanced across at the man who sat beside him, the glare of the bonfire reflecting in his eyes as he did so. He raised his eyebrows in questioning, as he pierced a carrot with his fork.

“I said I’m sorry.” Daryl repeated, his words a little louder this time, loud enough that Paul had heard. However, it didn’t change the fact that his eyebrows were still raised, confusion still present despite the fact he understood what Daryl had said. As soon as the words left his mouth, his gaze fell down to his plate of vegetables, potatoes and beef, the food suddenly becoming much more interesting than it was before.

“For what?” Paul asked, watching as Daryl messed with his food, chasing the leftover vegetables around his plate with his fork. In an attempt to get Daryl to look at him, Paul nudged him with his shoulder, his right shoulder bumping into Daryl’s left.

“For punching ya when we first met.” He shot back. Whatever it was Paul had been expecting, it certainly was not that. He found himself taking a moment to consider how to reply.

“That was months ago, Daryl,” Paul began, not entirely sure where he was going until the words left his lips. “We were strangers, why would you trust me?” The answer didn’t seem to satisfy Daryl entirely but he didn’t say anything else. “Besides, I started it. I stole your van.” At that, Daryl let out a chuckle and Paul couldn’t help it when the corners of his mouth tugged upwards.

“ _ Tried _ to.” Daryl corrected, laughter still clinging to his words as his lips fell into a smile. Popping a chunk of potato into his mouth, he looked back at the fire before them, watching the flames lick up into the air, forcing their way higher and higher. The crackling that came with the inferno had become a background noise by that point, nothing more than static in the distance to add to the fragments of conversations they could hear from nearby Alexandrians. 

Within a moment, his attention was already directed back to Daryl, a fond smile still present.

“Guess now would be as good a time as any to admit that I wasn’t  _ completely  _ unconscious on the ride back,” Paul said, a playful expression gracing his features. Now came the time for Daryl to look confused, before it clicked just what he was referring to.

“Son of a bitch,” Daryl said but the words held no heat, as his smile gave away the fact that he didn’t really mind. Who would’ve guessed that this was where they’d be just months after Paul  _ pretended  _ to be knocked out, letting his head fall on Daryl’s shoulder on purpose? 

Neither of them were very good at this sort of thing, both of them a little too hesitant, a little too restrained. Whenever it felt like progress was being made, like they were getting somewhere, one of them would back away, too scared to get too close and risk losing more than they already would if the worst were to happen. Still, in a rare moment of confidence, Daryl ignored the screaming in his head, the voice telling him that he should run away, that this would only lead to heartbreak and pain.

In a rare moment of confidence, Daryl reached out and intertwined his fingers with Paul’s.

After no more than a moment of doubt and uncertainty, Paul’s hand closed around Daryl’s. And when Paul’s head fell on his shoulder, Daryl didn’t shove him away. Instead, he leaned into the action, his head resting on top of Paul’s. In that moment, he considered the possibility that maybe getting close to someone wasn’t such a bad thing.

There were conversations to be had and hearts to be laid bare but for now, they both sat in silence, watching the flames, now starting to die down a little, the fire no longer growing with every flame but rather, shrinking.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [stillsanvers](https://stillsanvers.tumblr.com) if you want to request a prompt or just scream about these two because, honestly, I could do that all day.


End file.
